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Phillies open 2013 in Atlanta, return home to face KC

Phillies open 2013 in Atlanta, return home to face KC

PHILADELPHIA -- The Phillies have not played the Kansas City Royals since 2007, but they will play them in their home opener in 2013.

Major League Baseball released its schedule for next season on Wednesday.

Here are some highlights:

The Phillies open the season April 1-4 with a three-game series against the Atlanta Braves at Turner Field. They return home to host the Royals in a three-game series April 5-7. The homestand continues against the New York Mets on April 8-10.

The Phillies play the Royals, Cleveland Indians, Boston Red Sox, Minnesota Twins, Chicago White Sox and Detroit Tigers in Interleague Play. They play the Indians on the road for two games April 30-May 1 before playing them at home for two games May 14-15. The Phillies and Red Sox play a home-and-home series in May, with the Phils visiting Fenway Park on May 27-28, and the Red Sox visiting Citizens Bank Park on May 29-30.

The Phillies visit Target Field for a three-game series June 11-13, and the White Sox visit Philadelphia on July 12-14.

The Phillies finish Interleague Play on July 26-28 against the Tigers at Comerica Park.

There is a 10-game road trip June 24-July 4 against the San Diego Padres, Los Angeles Dodgers and Pittsburgh Pirates. The Phillies follow that with a 10-game homestand July 5-14 against the Braves, Washington Nationals and White Sox.

And then it's back on the road for a nine-game road trip against the Mets, St. Louis Cardinals and Tigers, followed by another nine-game homestand July 30-Aug. 8 against the San Francisco Giants, Braves and Chicago Cubs.

Phillies fans looking to make a good road trip always look at Chicago and Wrigley Field and AT&T Park in San Francisco. The Phillies are at Wrigley Aug. 30-Sept. 1. They are in San Francisco on May 6-8.

Phillies fans looking to take back Nationals Park should circle these series on the calendar: May 24-26, Aug. 9-11 and Sept. 13-15.

If the Phillies find themselves needing to clinch a postseason berth the final week of the season, they will have to clinch on the road. They finish with a three-game series in Miami and a four-game series in Atlanta.

Todd Zolecki is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.